Google: Piracy driven by lack of legal content

By Colin Mann

A senior Google executive has suggested one of the main factors giving rise to piracy is that content is not necessarily available to everyone who wishes to access it.

Gautam Anand, Senior Director, YouTube Partnerships, Asia Pacific at Google, told delegates at the Media and Entertainment Business Conclave in Chennai that “piracy happens because people around the world are not able to access content they wish to consume. Since content does not reach one and all, someone uploads it online on video-sharing websites so that everybody can consume it.”

“To stop piracy, content should be made available legally,” he suggested. “If filmmakers can legally make a film available online on the day of its release, then people who can’t watch it in theatres will prefer watching it online,” he contended.